Walter "Clyde"Frazier Jr. (born March 29, 1945) is an American former professionalbasketball player of theNational Basketball Association (NBA). As their floor general and top perimeter defender, he led theNew York Knicks to the franchise's only two championships (1970 and 1973), and was inducted into theNaismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987. Upon his retirement from basketball, Frazier went intobroadcasting; he is currently acolor commentator for telecasts of Knicks games on theMSG Network. In 1996, Frazier was honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to theNBA 50th Anniversary Team.[1] In October 2021, Frazier was again honored as one of the league's greatest players of all time by being named to theNBA 75th Anniversary Team.[2] Walt Frazier was also named the MVP of the first of two All-Star games played between ABA and NBA players in May 1971.
Walter Frazier Jr. was born on March 29, 1945, inAtlanta, Georgia. The eldest of nine children, Frazier attended Atlanta'sDavid Tobias Howard High School. He quarterbacked the football team, and played catcher on the baseball team. He learned basketball on a rutted and dirt playground, the only facility available at his all-black school in the racially segregated South of the 1950s.
Although he was offered other scholarships for his football skills, Frazier accepted a basketball offer fromSouthern Illinois University, saying that "there were no black quarterbacks, so I played basketball."[3]
Frazier became one of the premier collegiate basketball players in the country. He was named aDivision IIAll-American in 1964 and 1965. As a sophomore in 1965, Frazier led SIU to theNCAA Division II Tournament, only to lose in the finals toJerry Sloan and theEvansville Purple Aces 85–82 in overtime. In 1966, he was academically ineligible for basketball.
SIU and Frazier won theNational Invitation Tournament, defeatingMarquette University, 71–56, in the final, in the last college basketball game played at the oldMadison Square Garden in New York. Southern Illinois was playing in their final season as aCollege Division team,[4] and became the only non-Division I/University Division team to win the NIT. After the NCAA began operating the NIT in 2006, non-Division I teams were no longer eligible to participate. Frazier was named Most Valuable Player of the 1967 tournament.
Frazier was drafted fifth overall by theNew York Knicks in theNBA (as well as drafted in the first round by theDenver Rockets in the upstartAmerican Basketball Association), going on to average 9.0 points per game and be named to theNBA All-Rookie Team during the1967–68 season. During his rookie season with the Knicks, he picked up the nickname "Clyde" because he wore afedora similar to that worn byWarren Beatty in his portrayal ofClyde Barrow in the1967 filmBonnie and Clyde.[5][6]
As a sophomore, Frazier's 17.5 points, 7.9 assists, and 6.2 rebounds per game averages made him one of the most improved players in the league.
On October 30, 1969, Frazier recorded 43 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 5 assists in a 123–110 win over the Houston Rockets.[7] Frazier was chosen as anNBA All-Star during the1969–70 season, the first of seven selections during his 10-year stint with the Knicks.
The Knicks made it to the1970 NBA Finals thanks to the great play of both Frazier and star teammateWillis Reed. However, in game five, Reed suffered a painful leg injury. With Reed out, chances of the Knicks winning the championship were slim. However, Reed returned to the series, playing the first two minutes of game seven and scoring the Knicks' first four points before limping off. With Reed out, Frazier went on to post one of the greatest performances in NBA playoff history, tallying 36 points, seven rebounds, 19 assists, and six steals in leading New York to victory in what is referred to by ESPN as one of the best game sevens ever played.[8]
The Knicks were unable to repeat as champions in 1971, falling to theBaltimore Bullets and their star shooting guardEarl Monroe in the second round of the playoffs despite Frazier's 20.4 points per game average during the series.
During the off-season, in May 1971, Frazier scored 26 points and was named MVP of an exhibition game played between NBA andABA All-Stars in Houston'sAstrodome.[9]
Following the1970–71 season, the Knicks traded for Monroe, who was always difficult for Frazier to guard. Not many people thought the two players’ styles would mesh, but Monroe and Frazier soon became one of the best backcourts in the league, even earning the nickname the "Rolls-Royce" backcourt.[10]
The Knicks returned to the NBA Finals in1972, but fell to theLos Angeles Lakers, who completed a record-setting season with an NBA championship.
Frazier led the Knicks to a second NBA championship in1973, topping theLakers in a five-game series. His defense onJerry West played a major role in defeating the star-filled team.
In1976, Frazier was selected for his seventh and final NBA All-Star Game.
Frazier held Knicks franchise records for most games (759), minutes played (28,995), field goals attempted (11,669), field goals made (5,736), free throws attempted (4,017), free throws made (3,145), assists (4,791) and points (14,617).Patrick Ewing eventually broke most of those records, but Frazier's assists record still stands.
Frazier was traded to theCleveland Cavaliers after the1976–77 season for the youngerJim Cleamons.[11] The trade left Frazier stunned,[11] and he later commented that "It was like getting traded to Siberia."[12]
Due in part to repeated foot injuries, Frazier played only 66 games over the course of three seasons with the Cavaliers.[11] He retired midway through the1979–80 season, when he only played 3 games and averaged career-lows of 3.3 points and 2.7 assists before being waived.
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won anNBA championship |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1967–68 | New York | 74 | — | 21.5 | .451 | — | .655 | 4.2 | 4.1 | — | — | 9.0 |
| 1968–69 | New York | 80 | — | 36.9 | .505 | — | .746 | 6.2 | 7.9 | — | — | 17.5 |
| 1969–70† | New York | 77 | — | 39.5 | .518 | — | .748 | 6.0 | 8.2 | — | — | 20.9 |
| 1970–71 | New York | 80 | — | 43.2 | .494 | — | .779 | 6.8 | 6.7 | — | — | 21.7 |
| 1971–72 | New York | 77 | — | 40.6 | .512 | — | .808 | 6.7 | 5.8 | — | — | 23.2 |
| 1972–73† | New York | 78 | — | 40.8 | .490 | — | .817 | 7.3 | 5.9 | — | — | 21.1 |
| 1973–74 | New York | 80 | — | 41.7 | .472 | — | .838 | 6.7 | 6.9 | 2.0 | .2 | 20.5 |
| 1974–75 | New York | 78 | — | 41.1 | .483 | — | .828 | 6.0 | 6.1 | 2.4 | .2 | 21.5 |
| 1975–76 | New York | 59 | — | 41.1 | .485 | — | .823 | 6.8 | 5.9 | 1.8 | .2 | 19.1 |
| 1976–77 | New York | 76 | — | 35.4 | .489 | — | .771 | 3.9 | 5.3 | 1.7 | .1 | 17.4 |
| 1977–78 | Cleveland | 51 | — | 32.6 | .471 | — | .850 | 4.1 | 4.1 | 1.5 | .3 | 16.2 |
| 1978–79 | Cleveland | 12 | — | 23.3 | .443 | — | .778 | 1.7 | 2.7 | 1.1 | .2 | 10.8 |
| 1979–80 | Cleveland | 3 | — | 9.0 | .364 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.0 | 2.7 | .7 | .3 | 3.3 |
| Career | 825 | — | 37.5 | .490 | .000 | .786 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 1.9 | .2 | 18.9 | |
| All-Star | 7 | 7 | 26.1 | .449 | — | .857 | 3.9 | 3.7 | 1.3 | .0 | 12.6 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | New York | 4 | — | 29.8 | .364 | — | .778 | 5.5 | 6.3 | — | — | 9.5 |
| 1969 | New York | 10 | — | 41.5 | .503 | — | .596 | 7.4 | 9.1 | — | — | 21.2 |
| 1970† | New York | 19 | — | 43.9 | .478 | — | .764 | 7.8 | 8.2 | — | — | 16.0 |
| 1971 | New York | 12 | — | 41.8 | .529 | — | .733 | 5.8 | 4.5 | — | — | 22.6 |
| 1972 | New York | 16 | — | 44.0 | .536 | — | .736 | 7.0 | 6.1 | — | — | 24.3 |
| 1973† | New York | 17 | — | 45.0 | .514 | — | .777 | 7.3 | 6.2 | — | — | 21.9 |
| 1974 | New York | 12 | — | 40.9 | .502 | — | .898 | 7.9 | 4.0 | 1.8 | .3 | 22.5 |
| 1975 | New York | 3 | — | 41.3 | .630 | — | .813 | 6.7 | 7.0 | 3.7 | .0 | 23.7 |
| Career | 93 | — | 42.5 | .511 | — | .751 | 7.2 | 6.4 | 2.1 | .3 | 20.7 | |
Since the late 1960s, Frazier has been known for being a fashion icon, and was one of the first major pro athletes to be acclaimed as such. The website Clyde So Fly[15] catalogs and grades every suit he wears while broadcasting New York Knicks games on the MSG Network.[16]
Frazier has a line ofPuma sneakers named after him.[17] The firstPuma Clyde was released in 1973. Until that time, the ConverseChuck Taylor, launched in 1917, was the only basketball sneaker bearing a player's name. Frazier, then, is the first modern NBA star to have his own line of sneakers.[18] The promotional material references Frazier's "signature colorful style".[19]
Frazier's loquacious, rhyming broadcast commentary has become part and parcel of his image. His phrase "posting and toasting" — a description of player moving close to the basket and scoring over a rival — inspired the name of the popular Knicks blog, postingandtoasting.com.[20] His phrase for playing tough defense, "tenacious D," provided the name for actorJack Black's humorous musical duoTenacious D.[21]
Frazier lives inHarlem with his long-term girlfriend, Patricia James,[22] and they also have a home inSt. Croix.[23] He is the father of a son referred to both as Walt Jr.[24] and, later, Walt III.[25] Frazier is a member of the fraternityAlpha Phi Alpha.
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